Tashkent-style Pilaf with Meat

Cut the meat (lamb, veal, or chicken) into small pieces.

Pour vegetable oil into a cauldron and fry the meat over high heat.

Peel the carrots and onions. Finely chop the onions and cut the carrots into thin short strips. Fry for 3–5 minutes until the onions shrivel and a light brown crust forms. Transfer to a separate plate.

Sprinkle the meat with dried garlic, parsley, onion, black and red pepper. Fry until cooked through.

Pour water over the meat so that it is 1–2 cm below the water level.

Rinse the rice thoroughly 4–5 times under cold water. Pour it into a cauldron and add water so that it completely covers the rice and rises 1.5–2 cm above it.

Sprinkle with barberry and cumin, add 2–3 pinches each of ground paprika, black pepper and red pepper, 10–12 black peppercorns.

Increase the heat to maximum without covering with a lid. Cook on high heat until the water completely evaporates. As the water evaporates, gather the rice from the edges toward the center of the pot with a skimmer, forming a mound.

After the water has evaporated, add the sautéed onions and carrots on top of the rice mound. Mix the rice with the vegetables using a slotted spoon, form the mound again, and place unpeeled garlic cloves on top.

Cover with a lid. Set the stove to mark 2 and hold for 10–15 minutes. Then switch to minimum (mark 1) and hold for another 10–15 minutes. Do not remove the lid, slide it slightly to create a small gap.

After 15 minutes, gently push the rice from the edges toward the center with a slotted spoon and check if there is any water left on the bottom. If there is still some water, cover with a lid and turn off the stove.

Place a warm towel on top and let the pilaf rest for about 30 minutes.